Victoria will be Malta's European Capital of Culture in 2031. It will share the title with one of the 12 Spanish cities that have decided to apply.

It was a quick process for Malta. In fact, there were only two candidate cities, Birgu and Victoria. In Sweden, there were also only two candidate cities. But while in Sweden the evaluation panel decided to put both on the shortlist, in Malta the independent jury has already effectively chosen the European Capital of Culture.

The news was announced today by jury member Suvi Innilä following a two-day pre-selection meeting held at the Valletta Design Cluster, where an independent jury of experts appointed by the European Commission and national authorities examined the applications submitted by the two Maltese cities.

The final appointment will take place in September 2026. But there will be very little to decide. However, Victoria will have plenty of time to put together a final dossier that lives up to expectations.

At the moment, it is not known why, unlike in Sweden, it was decided to cancel the shortlist selection process.  In Sweden, there were two candidate cities, Uppsala and Kiruna, and the evaluation panel decided to shortlist both.

Some, such as journalist Marc Galdes, point to the coincidence of family relationships: 'Three of the figures involved in Victoria's bid for the title of Capital of Culture are related to each other and are part of the Tal-Bedeq family.

The Minister for Gozo is a cousin of the Mayor of Victoria and the President of the Gozo Regional Council, Samuel Azzopardi. Brian and Samuel Azzopardi are brothers'.

In any case, there was great satisfaction on the part of all institutional representatives, starting with European Commissioner for Culture Glenn Micallef, who stated that Victoria will have the opportunity to build on the legacy of Valletta 2018 ‘while creating new opportunities for cooperation and cultural exchange across Europe’.

It should be noted that this is the second time, after Valletta, that the title has been awarded to a Maltese city.

The mayor of Victoria breathed a sigh of relief: “In Gozo, we are a peripheral city and many citizens see Europe as a very distant institution. Reaching Tuesday's stage of the competition was not easy, but it required a considerable effort over the last three years”.

The funds received for the application are estimated at €250,000. In the meantime, Victoria's victory is certain, as it is the only city in the running.

The mayor's intention is to develop a project that is not only for tourists but also, and above all, for residents, with a strong cultural focus.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici expressed his congratulations on social media, as did Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri.

Victoria, also known among native Maltese as Rabat (which is the name of the old town centre) or by its title Città Victoria, is an administrative unit of Malta and the main town on Gozo. Victoria has a total population of 6,901 (as of March 2014) and is the most populous settlement in Gozo.

The area around the town, situated on a hill near the centre of the island, has been settled since Neolithic times. Victoria is the name given on 10 June 1887 by the British government on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, at the request of Pietro Monsignor Pace, Bishop of Gozo (Monsignor Pace later became Sir Pietro Monsignor Pace, Titular Archbishop of Rhodes and Bishop of Malta). However, many Gozitans, mainly older Gozitans, still often refer to it by the name Rabat. It is usually known as Rabat, Gozo to distinguish it from the town of Rabat on the main island of Malta.